Make a batch of Christmas morning cinnamon rolls to celebrate the holidays. They're filled with pecans and cozy spices, baked until fluffy, then topped with orange cream cheese frosting. Prepare them the night before and pop them in the oven on Christmas morning!
Heather's recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Fluffy cinnamon rolls are filled with cozy spices and crunchy pecans topped with sweet orange cream cheese frosting.
Ready to bake on Christmas morning: Assemble your rolls, cover, and allow them to rise in the refrigerator overnight. They'll be ready to pop in a preheated oven in the morning!
Yield: 9 large rolls
Pan size: 9x9 square
Similar to: Orange Cinnamon Rolls and Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Yeast - You'll need one packet of instant yeast for this recipe. Check the expiration date on your yeast to ensure it's not out of date. Old yeast can prevent your rolls from rising as they should.
- Pecans - Can be omitted or substituted with walnuts if desired.
- Orange - You'll need one orange for the frosting portion of the recipe. The bulk of the flavor comes from the orange zest, so this ingredient can't be skipped. Orange juice could be substituted with milk if needed, but if you've already got an orange on hand you may as well juice it.
How to make Christmas cinnamon rolls
- Warm up milk and butter to about 110F (no hotter). Whisk in yeast.
- Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add egg and milk mixture. Stir until a sticky dough forms.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes.
- Cover with a towel and allow dough to rest for 10 minutes.
- Roll dough out into a 9x14 rectangle.
- Spread with butter, brown sugar spice mixture, and pecans.
- Roll dough into a log, divide into 9 rolls with a serrated knife.
- Place in a greased 9x9 pan.
- Cover to rise for 60-90 minutes (or overnight in the refrigerator).
- While oven preheats, prepare frosting in a bowl.
- Bake rolls until golden brown across the top and they reach 195F in the center.
- Spread frosting on warm rolls and serve.
Heather's Top Tip
An instant-read thermometer is an essential kitchen tool. Use it to test the temperature of your milk (prevents ruining the yeast) and again to test the doneness of your cinnamon rolls (prevents doughy or dry results).
Tips and tricks
Knead until no longer sticky - Knead the dough using the heels of your hands on a lightly-floured countertop. Keep kneading until the dough no longer feels sticky and begins to form a smooth ball. Add more flour to your counter top as needed during this step.
Baking on Christmas morning - Preheat your oven first thing in the morning. Allow rolls and frosting (if you've prepared it ahead of time) to sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Bake your rolls as directed below, top with frosting fresh from the oven, and enjoy warm with your morning coffee.
Testing for doneness - Visually, your cinnamon rolls will look golden brown and set across the tops. If you have an instant-read thermometer, test the center of the middle cinnamon roll. They're done when they reach 195-200F.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, cinnamon rolls freeze well for up to 3 months. I've included directions in the recipe card below on how to freeze baked or raw cinnamon rolls for optimal results.
Your cinnamon rolls will turn out doughy if they're undercooked. I recommend testing your rolls with an instant-read thermometer to ensure they've reached 195-200F in the center before removing them from the oven to cool.
Cinnamon rolls turn out dry if they're overbaked. I recommend testing your rolls with an instant-read thermometer to ensure they've reached 195-200F in the center before removing them from the oven to cool.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 ¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (53 g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) whole milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, one standard packet
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Filling
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (106 g) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- pinch salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans, optional
Orange cream cheese frosting
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (113 g) confectioner's sugar
Instructions
Dough
- Lightly grease a 9x9 square baking dish or 9-10 inch round cake or pie pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add milk and butter. Microwave in 20 second increments until butter has melted and mixture is warm to the touch, but not hot (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Whisk in yeast and continue whisking until yeast has dissolved. Pour yeast mixture into dry ingredients. Add the egg and stir with a sturdy wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes, or until dough looks smooth (not sticky).
- Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, lightly cover, and allow to rise for 10 minutes.
Filling
- Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 14x9 rectangle.
- Spread room temperature butter evenly across the dough. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Sprinkle evenly over the butter and press gently to adhere. Top with chopped pecans.
- Starting at the long 14 inch side, roll dough up into a log. Using a serrated knife, slice into 9 even rolls and place into prepared baking dish.
- Cover and transfer to the refrigerator to rise overnight. (To make the same day: Lightly cover and allow rolls to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until they've doubled in size.)
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Remove cinnamon rolls from the refrigerator and uncover while the oven preheats.
- Transfer dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 28-32 minutes, or until golden brown across the top and rolls reach 195-200 degrees Fahrenheit in the center (use an instant read thermometer to test internal temperature). If rolls are browning too quickly, lightly tent with foil for the remaining baking time.
- While the rolls bake, prepare the icing.
Frosting
- In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until creamy and smooth. Add confectioner's sugar and and mix until smooth.
- Spread frosting over warm cinnamon rolls and serve immediately.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Overnight directions: After assembling the cinnamon rolls, cover and transfer to the refrigerator to rise overnight (this replaces the 60-90 minute rise). In the morning, remove cinnamon rolls from the refrigerator and uncover while the oven preheats. Bake as directed in the recipe card above.
- Preparing frosting ahead of time: Frosting can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator, or made in the morning while your rolls bake. If made ahead, bring it back to room temperature while your rolls bake.
- Leftovers: Store leftover frosted cinnamon rolls covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or unfrosted cinnamon rolls at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Freezing baked rolls: Baked cinnamon rolls freeze well and keep for up to 3 months.
- Freezing unbaked cinnamon rolls: Follow the directions above for assembly and rising, using a disposable foil pan (or other freezer-safe pan you don't mind freezing for a while). Bake your cinnamon rolls at 350F for 10 minutes. They should look risen and par-cooked, but not yet browned. Cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. In the morning, preheat your oven to 350F and bake for the remaining 18-22 minutes.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!